DS 18 months. Need food advice. PLEEEEEASE.......

[PeterJones]

Have got myself into a bit of a twit over this. Am aged (38) first time mother who works full time and has full time nanny (not sure why you needed to know that.). Nanny and I very good at backing each other up over stuff.

He isn't a great eater, never has been right from the start. What sort of things do you DC's of similar ages eat? And what do you do if they wont eat it? Offer them stuff they will? Is he too young to just not offer anything else? And if he genuinely doesn't like something, isn';t it mean to not give him some thing else?

my 2 DS normally eat ok-at 18mths they liked things that were 'wet'-ie with gravy. things like cottage pie (can freeze), spag bol thay ate well at that age,fish pie, etc. at 18mths i used to wait until just before bed to offer a supper if they hadnt/wouldnt eat much tea-i didnt want to appear like i was giving in! i made things like cheese on brown toast, or weetabix for supper.

it can be a minefield of what to give, when, how much, and what will they like.my ds's (now 2 and 4) eat ok now, but i tend to follow the no dinner/no pudding rule. for pudding i just do things like fruit salad, custard and banana,etc-not too sweet but nice.

hope that helps in some way :0

My two always liked
Macaroni cheese
Risotto with chopped ham or chicken,peas

mashed sweet potato
eggy bread
fromage frais and chopped banana

Finger food -hoummous and pitta bread is normally a hit with most toddlers,cucumber cubes,grated carrot,cubed cheese

ds is also 18m and has phases of eating his entire body weight in one sitting, then a week of eating next to nothing. I've always presumed it was related to growth spurts. But when he refuses, like you I find it hard to know whether to offer something else so he doesn't go hungry, or not so he doesn't think he can get away with it.
Generally, I try really hard not to make a thing of it, if he won't eat I let him get down, but usually offer some fruit or something before bedtime. I do keep trying to offer things that he has refused before, mainly because I want him to learn to like a broad range of foods, and because he does change his mind about what he likes pretty frequently.
It helped me a lot to know that people on the June 05 thread were going through the exact same thing at the same time with their children - I kept reminding myself of it every time ds turned his nose up at yet another lovingly prepared supper - keep repeating "it's just a phase, it's just a phase"!

My DD has never been a good eater and is also the slowest toddler I have ever know at finishing her meals. Can take over and hour for one plate. If she refuses point blank I usually do offer something else and if that doesn't work then I give up and hope she will eat later on in the day. I use to get myself into a real panic over how little she ate but have learned just to accept that she has the appetite of a sparrow.

Breakfast is normally cereal with fruit and lunch is bread with cheese/meat/scramble eggs etc along with yogurt/fruit. For tea I usually opt for pasta with homemade sauces stuffed full of veg or mashed/oven roasted potatoes with veg and meat (all meats have to be chopped into the smallest pieces or she will chew for hours). Another great option is thick veg soups to which I add Ham/beans together with small pasta or rice and then soak in brown bread. Also cheesy vegetable bake to which you can add tuna/salmon or ham. All of these could be made up in advance and frozen. I also offer her snacks inbetween. I try to make these health but sometime I do allow a wee biscuit here and there.